Control

# Control — AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the measured data showing a clear GPU-bound pattern as resolution increases. This combination ranks 1192nd out of 2888 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 processor with a 3.70 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom, while the RTX 3070's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable and steep performance curve as resolution climbs from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 100 FPS at 1920x1080 to 76 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 51 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 3070 becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput demand outstrips the GPU's capabilities.

At Low settings, the resolution scaling is even more pronounced. The average FPS at 1080p is 158, dropping to 120 at 1440p and 81 at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K delta of 77 FPS demonstrates that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU cannot maintain performance parity across resolutions. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 112 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the lowest absolute numbers, with 87 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K.

The interesting observation is that the relative performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings presets—roughly 24-28%—suggesting a uniform GPU bottleneck. However, the 1440p-to-4K transition shows a larger percentage drop, particularly at Low settings where the fall is from 120 FPS to 81 FPS (a 32.5% reduction). This indicates that at 4K, the memory bandwidth and raw shading capacity of the RTX 3070 become critical factors, as the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth struggle with the increased data footprint.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. With a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, this processor delivers strong single-threaded performance that is well-suited to Control's gameplay logic. The 32 MB shared L3 cache and 1 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used game data, while dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

Benchmark results show the 7400F achieving a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and a single-core score of 3072. In Passmark tests, the multithread score of 25645 and single-thread score of 3689 further quantify its capability. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs stands at 83, placing it in the top quartile of processors. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 7400F's average benchmark score of 32750 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-14600T (32707, 0.1% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32697, 0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32812, -0.2% delta).

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain frame pacing and handle physics calculations. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, where GPU load is lightest, the system achieves 158 FPS. This suggests the CPU can sustain high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. However, the absence of min/max FPS values for most settings means we cannot fully assess frame-time consistency from the CPU side. The measurable min FPS data points—49 FPS at 4K Medium, 72 FPS at 1440p Medium, and 96 FPS at 1080p Medium—indicate that the CPU maintains reasonably stable frame delivery even when the GPU is under strain.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 100 FPS, which is well above the typical 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 87 FPS, still playable but with diminishing returns for the extra visual fidelity. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p achieves 158 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the High preset produces 76 FPS, which remains playable but begins to approach the threshold where motion smoothness may be compromised. The Medium preset at 1440p provides 85 FPS, offering a better balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 66 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced exploration but may feel less responsive during intense combat sequences. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 120 FPS, which is an excellent choice for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset manages 51 FPS, which is borderline for immersive gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 57 FPS with a min FPS of 49 and max FPS of 66, suggesting occasional frame drops below the 50 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 4K achieves 81 FPS, making it the most reliable option for 4K gaming on this hardware. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 44 FPS, which is below the acceptable threshold for smooth action gameplay.

The data suggests that Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, with average FPS of 112 and 85 respectively. For 4K, Low settings are the recommended choice, as they provide the only preset with an average FPS above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1192nd out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 58.7th percentile of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects the RTX 3070's position in the GPU hierarchy, where it holds a 61st percentile ranking against all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 17208.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database provide context for its performance tier. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 (0.7% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% delta), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% delta). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468 (-1.5% delta), indicating the RTX 3070 sits slightly above the RX 7600 XT but below the Tesla K40c in raw benchmark terms.

In the context of Control specifically, the 1192nd rank out of 2888 combos suggests that while this system is not at the top tier, it outperforms a majority of tested configurations. The combination of a strong Zen 4 CPU with a mid-range Ampere GPU creates a balanced system that handles Control's demands competently across most settings, with the primary limitation emerging at 4K Ultra settings where the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute become insufficient.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process, with a GA104 chip containing 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Its 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs deliver the raw compute power.

The RTX 3070's benchmark scores illustrate its capabilities. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3162, while Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 112821 and 21022 respectively. The Passmark G3D score of 22214 and GPU compute score of 11195 further characterize its performance. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 61, indicating it sits above the median but not in the upper echelon of graphics cards.

In Control, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns. At 1080p, the GPU can render up to 158 FPS at Low settings, but this drops to 87 FPS at Ultra settings—a 45% reduction. This demonstrates that even at 1080p, the GPU is the primary constraint when graphical settings are maximized. The 4K resolution amplifies this effect, with the Ultra preset achieving only 44 FPS, which is 50% of the 1080p Ultra frame rate.

The RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable consideration for Control at 4K, where high-resolution textures can exceed this amount. However, the measured data shows playable frame rates at 4K Medium (57 FPS) and 4K High (51 FPS), suggesting that the VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's requirements at these settings. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth also proves adequate, though the performance drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Control?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance. At High settings, the combo achieves 76 FPS, and at Medium settings it reaches 85 FPS, both playable with good visual quality. 1080p offers higher frame rates (100 FPS at High), while 4K is playable only at Low settings (81 FPS) or Medium settings (57 FPS).

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083), 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468) by 1.5%.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 in Control?

A: The data suggests no significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 158 FPS, which the CPU can sustain. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and single-core score of 3072 indicate strong performance. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking against all CPUs further supports its capability to feed the GPU effectively.

Q: What are the FPS differences between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 120 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. This represents a 54 FPS difference, or a 45% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to highest quality settings. The Medium preset at 85 FPS and High preset at 76 FPS sit between these extremes.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K, the Low preset achieves 81 FPS, Medium achieves 57 FPS (with min FPS of 49), High achieves 51 FPS, and Ultra achieves 44 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS gameplay, the Low preset is the only reliable option. The Ultra preset falls below the 45 FPS threshold and is not recommended.

Q: How does this combo rank relative to all tested combinations?

A: This combination ranks 1192nd out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the upper 58.7% of all tested systems. This indicates it outperforms a majority of configurations while not reaching the top tier, consistent with the RTX 3070's 61st percentile GPU ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low preset at 158 FPS, Medium preset at 112 FPS (with min FPS of 96 and max FPS of 129), High preset at 100 FPS, and Ultra preset at 87 FPS. The 71 FPS spread between Low and Ultra settings highlights the GPU's sensitivity to graphical quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the measured average FPS values are: Low preset at 120 FPS, Medium preset at 85 FPS (with min FPS of 72 and max FPS of 98), High preset at 76 FPS, and Ultra preset at 66 FPS. The 54 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is slightly narrower than at 1080p, reflecting the increased GPU load at higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS values are: Low preset at 81 FPS, Medium preset at 57 FPS (with min FPS of 49 and max FPS of 66), High preset at 51 FPS, and Ultra preset at 44 FPS. The 37 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the smallest across all resolutions, indicating that at 4K, the GPU's limitations compress the performance envelope across settings presets.

The complete dataset shows that the Medium preset at each resolution provides min/max FPS values, offering insight into frame-time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the 96-129 FPS range demonstrates relatively stable performance. At 1440p Medium, the 72-98 FPS range shows more variance, while at 4K Medium, the 49-66 FPS range indicates the GPU is working near its limits, with min FPS approaching the 45 FPS threshold.